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274 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [SEPTFMBER, 1923. 
LAELIOCATTLEYA EXONIENSIS. 
N September gth, 1863,.the first Lzliocattleya.was seen in flower. On 
that day Leliocattleya exoniensis was exhibited at the Royal 
Horticultural Society and awarded a Second-class Certificate. The present 
month therefore marks the Diamond Jubilee of the first of this well-known 
section of hybrids. During these sixty years about 1,400 crosses between 
Lelia and Cattleya have been recorded. 
Lc. exoniensis was raised by Dominy at the Exeter Nurseries of Messrs. 
Veitch & Sons. On leaving Devon in 1864 to accompany Mr. James Veitch 
to Chelsea, the Exeter Horticultural Society presented Dominy with a 
piece of plate ‘in recognition of the value of his experiments in hybridiza- 
tion carried'on by him whilst a member of their association.”” The parents 
of this hybrid were originally given as C. Mossiz and L. purpurata, and 
although some doubt was expressed as to the correctness of the latter 
parent, it was not until June, 1903, when Seden had raised a fresh batch of 
this hybrid, that the true parents were proved to be C. Mossiz and L. crispa. 
Coloured plates of Lc. exoniensis appeared in the Orchid Album, vol. x., 
t. 443, and in Warner’s Select Orchidaceous Plants, ii., t. 36. Accompanying 
the former plate is a note that ‘‘ the very finest example which we ever saw 
of this plant was in the excellent collection brought together by the late 
Mr. Dawson, of Meadow Bank, N.B., and so ably managed by his gardener, 
Mr. Anderson. The fine plant had sixty of its gorgeous flowers fully 
developed at the same time.’’ These names are commemorated in Lelia 
anceps Dawsoni and Odontoglossum Andersonianum. 
It is always a matter of interest to. turn up the old records, and we find 
that at the sale of Lord Londesborough’s collection in August, 1880, four 
plants of L.c. exoniensis realised respectively £63, £54 128., £44 25+ and 
£24 3s. These figures induced Mr. Anderson to contribute the following 
note to The Garden: “I observe that among the Orchids sold last week 
belonging to Lord Londesborough, four plants of this Cattleya realised the 
extraordinary price of 177 guineas. I happened to see these plants a few 
days before they were sold, and I must confess they sold well, possibly 
bringing higher prices than would have been asked by, or given to, the 
trade in the ordinary way of buying and selling, showing the advantage of 
competition at auction sales. Looking back, I well remember the late Mr. 
James Veitch, when he saw some twelve years ago the big plant (by 
comparison) we had at Meadowbank, exclaiming that he had comparatively 
thrown this wonderful hybrid of Mr. Dominy’s away by letting it out too 
soon. It isa capital grower, and I took a special interest in it, because I 
looked upon it then, and I have in no way modified my opinion now, as the 
most beautiful thing we had in the way of Cattleyas in September and 
